New projects being funded under FNFP

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With the mandate of the First Nations Forestry Program (FNFP) being extended for an extra year, the organization has begun plans for funding new initiatives across the country.

Ten new projects will be funded by the program in Saskatchewan for the coming year, with a total of $363,000 allocated to the new forestry initiatives, said Mike Newman with Canadian Forest Service.

Although information has yet to be released about which specific projects have been approved for funding, "it ranges from tree planting projects to log home building, to training on how to use sawmills and conventional harvesting equipment. So it's quite a range of different types of projects," Newman said.

The FNFP was established in 1996 as a five-year program, designed to help First Nations become involved in forestry. The program was originally set to end this spring, but the program was extended for one additional year. The new projects being funded this year must be completed by March 31, 2002.

Natural Resources Canada and the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, the two federal departments that fund the FNFP, committed $4.5 million to the program to cover the additional year of operation.

"During the past five years, the FNFP has helped almost 4,000 First Nations workers gain valuable job experience," Ralph Goodale, minister of Natural Resources Canada, said in a press release announcing the program extension. "The skills they've learned have allowed them to create more business opportunities and strengthen their communities. The program's success shows that First Nations people and the government of Canada are working toward the same goals - sustainable development, environmental preservation, and economic growth."

For more information about the First Nations Forestry Program, visit the program Web site at http://www.fnfp.gc.ca.